Evaluation of asexual propagation by cuttings in Sesuvium verrucosum Raf. (Aizoaceae)

Abstract

Drought and salinity are conditions in some soils that limit agricultural production worldwide. To combat these effects, emphasis has been placed on a technique called phytodesalination, which consists of the use of halophyte species with the ability to extract significant amounts of sodium (Na+) from the affected environment. However, this is an agricultural practice that demands a large amount of plant material per hectare, which makes it difficult to implement in production systems with salinity problems. The objective of this work was to determine the rooting capacity of the cuttings of the halophytic species S. verrucosum and to analyze the magnitude changes in its biometric parameters, from different concentrations in the hormonal treatment, in a period of 90 days. For the development of the experiment, a completely randomized experimental design was used and two factors were considered: the concentrations of indole butyric acid (IBA) (0, 800, 1 200, 1 600, 2 000 and 4 000 mg L-1) and the position of the cuttings (basal-intermediate and intermediate-apical). The results obtained showed significant differences between the different treatments. The cuttings of the intermediate-apical portion were those that obtained the highest percentage of rooting, number of roots, fresh and dry weight, both of the root and the area of the plant, stem diameter and plant height, mainly at a concentration of 2 000 mg L-1. Through this method, it is possible to implement phytodesalination extensively.